The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni: 1968-1998

While reading through this wonderfully assembled collection of poetry, it is fascinating to encounter the wonderful historical context that appears throughout the works, constantly placing the reader in the "here and now" of when the poem was written. Because of this Giovanni has become a controversial figure but to simply focus on her earlier "angry work" is to oversimplify her career and have a knee jerk reaction to the pieces which is WHAT IS INTENDED. Nikki said it herself that she didn't want white people examining her work and this is why, they cannot get past the threat that such anger possesses to see the root of the problem. Until this happens that idiotic one star reviews that have appeared on here will continue to do so. Open your minds people and examine your hearts to fully explore these works of genius.

Okay, I admit she is not everybody's cup of tea (obviously as one can see with that last review) but she does have her charm. Personally I love her later work. Her early work is okay, but I can't make a connection to it as I'm a product of the post-Civil Rights/Black Power era. Her voice during those years served it purpose in the way African American art sought to seek a no-nonsense approach to black life in America (which wasn't as peachy fun as it should have been). "Black Feeling/Black Talk" and "Black Judgment" are written statements against White Supremacy (which was the child of Social Darwinism). But in her later works in the 70s, you see a shift in her work. The Black Power movement had died down (it didn't die out though) and so I guessed the logical approach to her work would have had to change as well. And thankfully it did. Not to say that she had softened into a free-loving poet but that her passion (which is still evident today in this 63 year old woman) has changed in its subjects. My favorite book of hers (which this collection includes) is "Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day", which was poignant and warm (while her earlier work had been provocative and hot). My second favorite book (which is not in this collection) is "Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea: Poems and Not Quite Poems" (even though her new book "Acolytes: Poems" is pretty wonderful too). Some poems are really a joy to read. I remember when I first read "Ego-Tripping"; I thought that the title was perfect for the poem (cause her ego was tripping). It's a poem about the contribution that Africa has given to Western Civilization. Egypt is in Africa not the Middle East! Hannibal was from Carthage, which means he was African! The poem made me think about the rich history and cultures of Africa that most tend to just glance over. African influence extends beyond the continent and into the lives of people all over. It's a stirring poem. I also like "Nikki-Rosa" with that statement "...black love is black wealth", speaking of the fact that for the things that African Americans didn't have in the past what they did have that mattered (which some feel is being lost) was close emotional ties within families and friendships in the black community. I recommend that people watch the movie "Lackawanna Blues" and then read "Nikki-Rosa" and see what I mean. Nikki Giovanni appeals to me as a human being and not as being part African American. Her words (especially her most recent work "Acolytes") talks to me as an individual writer. She lives a fulfilling life as a writer, teacher, mother, lover and I know that she would want every person who reads her work to see that and seek out a fulfilling life for themselves.

Nikki Giovanni is a writer with her own kind of style. I thought that this book expressed what kind of person that she is. Many poems in this book were about Black Culture. I would recommend this poem to anybody who is intrested in learning about black people and their struggles.

If you held in your hands the five hundred plus pages in Nikki Giovanni?s latest work, you could count yourself lucky. Anytime a skilled poet looks back across life and shares pure insights with the world ? we are all lucky. In Collected, we are treated to a view of the world that goes back to the sixties and takes rapid-fire photographs through the nineties. Giovanni?s poetry ranges from sentimental and introspective to irreverent and militant. It is a broad range of feelings about love, prejudice, injustice and living in one?s own skin. There are so many interesting entries in this book. Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day deals with the frailty of human existence. For Harold Logan is dedicated to a man murdered after daring to open a Black club on Broadway. A Certain Peace talks about enjoying time alone and allowing others the freedom to do the same. All are good.Rich with texture, Giovanni?s Collected feels like the opening of a soul. More and more and over and over, her poetry taps into the psyche and brings forth memories as much for Giovanni as for the reader.